Path to Reverence
by Mars1040
Summary: Fantasy AU; Phidella Squires Cory and Shawn are on a mission escort Lady Topanga to Bohemia to get married against her wishes. Eric, Jack and Jason are sent on their first Knight errand. Little do they know that they will witness events that will change their world forever.


Obi-Wan: Tell me, how long did this take?  
Mars: Too long, enjoy the chapter.  
Angel: Aren't you forgetting something?  
Mars: Oh right, this fic runs parallel to my RENT fic, Journey to Bohemia, go check it out to completely understand the story...or not, this story has its own Boy Meet World-centric plots, but just read to find out.

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing.

Path to Reverence  
**Chapter 1: Childhood Promises**

The orange twilit sky reflected in the East Phidella River as children played by the riverbed. It was the final days of summer and they were getting as much playtime in until the Autumn Equinox, when the weather started getting colder. There were two children in particular playing with each other, a boy with short, brown curly hair, and a girl with long, golden blond hair that was braided down her back. They were children of Phidellan nobles who were vacationing on the government estate approximately two miles outside the capital, Adamshead. Their families had been vacationing on the estate every summer since the children were infants, to say that they were close would be an understatement.

While the two children were playing tag, the boy noticed an older boy packing up a pony near the road and decided to shout over at him, "Eric!"

The boy turned when he heard his name. His wavy, brown locks were vastly different from the younger boy's hair, but if you looked at their faces, you could tell that the two were brothers.

"Eric, what're you doing?" The boy asked.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" His older brother replied, "I'm packing up my pony to return to the city."

"But we're not leaving until the day before the Fall Festival."

"I have to go back sooner so I can move into the Knight Academy."

The young boy was stunned, "B-but you can't! Mom and Dad wanted us to go together!"

"And be the last of my friends to be knighted?!" Eric snapped, "Most of my friends went to the academy when they turned ten, and now Jason's going this year…"

"I get it," the younger brother interrupted, "Your friends are more important than your brother!"

He then turned and ran back to his friend, ignoring his brother calling out to him. He sat at the riverbed and brought his knees up to his chest. The girl quietly sat next to him.

"Topanga," he finally spoke up, "What're we gonna do when we grow up?"

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Girls aren't allowed in the Knight Academy, so how're we gonna stay friends?"

"Cory Matthews," she turned him so he faced her and took his hands in hers, "No matter what, we are going to stay friends."

He held her hands as well, "And I promise, Topanga, that we'll be together when we grow up."

* * *

Sixteen-year-old Squire Cory Matthews awoke from his dream. The morning sun was streaming through the window of his quarters in the Adamshead Knight Academy. His eyes widened as he realized that he was supposed to be up before dawn to perform his duties for the day. He cursed as he jumped out of bed and hastily threw his uniform on and bolted out of the room. He ran down to the mess hall that was shared by every student at the academy, including both the Knight and the Scholar candidates. To his dismay, the hall was full of adolescents and young adults eating their breakfast.

He quickly scanned the room and sighed in relief, "No sign of Feeney."

"That is because I am right behind you Squire Matthews," came the sophisticated voice of George Feeney, the Head Scholar of the Phidellan Court.

With as much forced enthusiasm as he could muster, Cory turned to face him, "Scholar Feeney, just the man I wanted to see. Would you believe I couldn't find a mop?"

"No," Feeney was far too experienced to accept such an excuse, "I was here at the crack of dawn, waiting for you to show up to perform your cleaning duties, which are not optional."

"I'm sorry Scholar Feeney, I overslept."

"Is that what you would tell your serving knight if you were to prepare for battle at dawn?"

"Please don't remind me," Cory groaned at the fact that he was not picked to serve under a knight.

"Come now Squire Matthews," the older man comforted him, "You may be the only squire in your year without a serving knight, but you have an advantage over all your peers."

"Extra chores?"

"Extra classes."

Another groan emerged from the young man, "That's supposed to be better?"

"Yes, the additional knowledge you are gaining will put you ahead of your peers in life."

"Forgive me if I'm being a little unappreciative, but how is knowing the history of Gypto, a country that Phidella wants nothing to do with, gonna put me ahead of all the other knights?"

Feeney smiled, "That, Squire Matthews is exactly how it will put you ahead of them."

Cory shook his head, "You know, I just can't understand you sometimes Feeney."

"You will eventually," he put his hand on his shoulder, "Now go get yourself some breakfast."

"What about cleaning the mess hall?"

"Don't worry about that right now Cory, just focus on getting something to eat." He began to walk away, "After everyone has left, you will get started on cleaning the mess hall. Then you will report to my study for your punishment."

Cory groaned as he looked over the hall and the large mess that he would have to clean up, "Just another day in the life of Cory Matthews."

* * *

Lieutenant General Jonathan Turner marched through the halls of the Phidellan Republic Palace, with his sixteen-year-old squire, Shawn Hunter dragging his feet. The two were summoned to a council meeting by Madame Chancellor Bolander for reasons that were unknown to both of them.

"I don't know what you're worried about," Shawn tells his superior in his usual laid-back voice, brushing his dark brown locks out of his face "Maybe Bolander wants to put you up for another promotion."

Turner turns around abruptly, stopping Shawn in his tracks, "That, Hunter, is what I'm worried about. The leader of our country is not 'Bolander', she's 'Madame Chancellor' or 'Madame Bolander'. It's that lack of respect for authority that gets knights demoted."

"Just like Eli?" The teenaged squire inquired in an arrogant voice.

"Exactly like Eli, if he didn't make that crack about Lord Ganglepant's name, he'd be a General by now, like me."

"Ah, so he'd be an uptight asshole, like you," he taunted him with a smile.

Before Turner could retort, an older woman approached them, "And it doesn't help that Sir Williams has a smart mouth that he does not know how to keep shut." The bows turned to face Madame Bolander, clad in a simple dress, which was surprising considering that she, along with the nobles, were supposed to wear formal robes to council meetings. "Also, General Turner, may I add that it is also lack of punctuality that gets knights demoted." She gestured for them to follow her, which they did without saying a word.

They arrived in a small council chamber, which was empty save for Lord and Lady Lawrence, and much to Shawn's surprise, "Topanga?" Topanga Lawrence looked up to look at Shawn, though she did not look pleased to see him, which worried him, "Are you okay?"

"She's just fine Squire Hunter," Lord Lawrence assured him putting his hands on his daughter's shoulders for comfort, "We just had to make a decision about her future."

"As you both know," Bolander began, taking the centermost seat in the front of the room, "Bohemia is facing hard times, the king died nearly ten years ago and now their queen is near death. In order to assist her and her country, Topanga has graciously volunteered to marry her nephew."

Shawn's jaw dropped when he heard the word "marry". He had always imagined that Cory, his best friend, and Topanga would be together, just like they were when he first met them six years prior. To hear that she volunteered herself into an arranged marriage was a complete shock for him.

Turner, on the other hand merely raised an eyebrow at this, "The queen has a nephew?"

"Yes, he is not discussed very much by the royal family, but then again, neither is Princess Marita," Lord Lawrence told him.

However, the knight was still confused, "But who exactly is he? And if he's not discussed by the royal family, how do you know he exists?"

"It was this picture that caught my eye," Bolander took out a small card and handed it to him.

On the card was a sketch of the Bohemian Royal Family, including King Leandro Marquez, his wife, Queen Narcisa and their young daughter, Princess Marita. There were also other people in the picture as well, including what Turner assumed was the King and Queen's advisors, standing next to their respective superiors, and a boy slightly older than the princess standing next to her.

"This was sent to me about ten years ago," she explained, "I assume the reason that boy was included in the sketch was because he's part of the royal family."

Turner was not completely convinced of this, "And the queen has agreed to this?"

"We are not telling the queen," Lord Lawrence informed him, "If you show up with Topanga, there will not be much to discuss. The queen cannot turn down an offer like this."

The knight did not agree with this at all, but he was in no position to argue with his superiors, "I understand, we will leave as soon as the young Lady Lawrence is ready."

"That is not all General Turner," Bolander said, "We will be sending an apprentice scholar with you and Lady Lawrence has requested that Squire Matthews accompany you."

"I understand, I will send Shawn to inform Squire Matthews of this right away," he quickly bowed and left the room with Shawn reluctantly following.

* * *

Cory was spending his morning in Scholar Feeney's study, shelving books. Feeney had left to teach his classes, leaving the squire alone. Naturally, without Feeney to supervise him, he began to procrastinate by reading some of the recreational books.

He found himself absorbed in the material, "Oh Demetrius, why don't you just go for Helena? Hermia is obviously in love with Lysander."

"Reading Shakespeare Cory?" Apprentice Scholar Stuart Minkus had entered the study, mildly surprised at the sight of him.

Cory quickly closed the book, "I was just shelving books for Scholar Feeney."

Taking a quick look at what little progress was made, Minkus quipped, "It doesn't look like you were doing a very good job."

"I never said I was."

"Fair enough," the younger boy shrugged, placing the papers and books he was carrying on Feeney's desk, "When Scholar Feeney comes back from teaching classes, you can tell him that I've placed all the papers I was supposed to write and rewrite on his desk."

"Why don't you just tell him yourself?" Cory asked as he began to leave the room.

"Because, Cory, we're leaving for Bohemia today."

Minkus turned to leave once again, but Cory grabbed him by the shoulder and stopped him, "And who's 'we'?"

"We, you me and…" he said as if he was reminding him, but then he realized that the squire had no idea he was talking about. "Oh, I guess no one told you yet."

"Told me what Minkus?"

Before Minkus could say anything else, Shawn burst into the room, "Cory! There's something you gotta hear."

"And I believe you're about to find out." With that, Minkus left the room.

"Shawn, is this about Bohemia?" Cory asked, slightly amused, "Because Minkus just told me that I'm going."

"Yeah," Shawn confirmed, "You, me, Minkus, Turner…"

"That's great," he smiled, "That's the best news I've heard all year."

"Cory," Shawn did not share Cory's enthusiasm, "This mission to Bohemia…"

"Oh, so it's a mission," he said, still amused, "What kind of mission?"

"Cory, we're escorting Topanga to get married," Shawn blurted out in one breath, leaving Cory dumbfounded.

* * *

Topanga sat in her room, dressed in traveling clothes. Her traveling bags were already packed and ready for servants to take to whatever transportation that had been arranged for the trip. She was very uncomfortable with the situation her parents had forced her in. She knew nothing about the boy she was about to marry save for the fact that he somehow part of the royal family. She was not even sure about his age, for all she knew she could be marrying a man in his thirties.

The most upsetting thing about the whole situation was that she was currently being courted by her childhood friend, Cory. Her parents knew about it, but still offered her up for marriage. They told her that marrying for the good of a nation was much better than waiting around for a boy to marry her. There was a knock at her door, but not wanting to be disturbed, she ignored it.

"Topanga," came Cory's voice, "Open up I know you're in there." She obliged, opening the door for him. "Marriage, Topanga?" He said with a bit of a sneer, as if this was her fault, "I was under the impression that we were going to get married as soon as I got knighted."

"It wasn't my idea Cory," she tried telling him, "My parents made me, you have to believe me."

"Sure, your _parents_ made you go off and get married to some handsome Bohemian prince!" He threw his arms up, "Instead of marrying old potato head Cory."

Topanga was insulted by this, "You think it was my idea to get married to some guy I don't even know? You think that I want to leave my home and everyone I know and love?" Cory was taken aback when he saw that she was on the verge of tears. "And how do you think I feel when my parents don't respect me enough to let me choose who I get to marry?" She turned away to hide the fact that she had begun to tear up, "It's just not fair." He placed his hands on her shoulders in comfort, but she shrugged them away, "Cory, just go. I want to be alone."

He obliged, bowing to her, "As you wish my lady." With that, he left her alone once again.

* * *

Turner sat in the knight's study with his closest friend and colleague, Knight Commander Eli Williams. The two were looking though everything that was written about the Bohemian Royal Family in the last twenty years. They did not find anything that even alludes to the queen's supposed "nephew".

"This whole thing stinks Eli," Turner told his friend, "A nephew that no one knows about and they expect Lady Lawrence to marry him?"

"It just isn't right," Eli agreed, "Especially since Benny met the princess…"

"Wait," Turner interrupted, "Benny met the princess? When?"

"Yesterday," he took out a folded piece of paper and handed it to the other knight, "It was sent by hawk messenger."

Turner took the paper and began to read the message.

_Eli,_

_I'll need to take Matthews, Hunter and Marsden off your assignment in Litus City to take my squad of soldiers back to Adamshead. You see, I met Princess Marita and her traveling companions and I want to accompany them to Bohemia. Have them meet up with me in Crookbliss as soon as possible. _

_Benny_

General Coffin, or Benny as his friends call him, was best friends with both Turner and Eli during their time in the Knight Academy. He rose through the ranks and became General of the Phidella Army. Despite their different ranks, they still kept in touch and remained close friends, pulling favors for each other every so often. Eli was in charge of assigning duties to first year knights, if anyone else were to request a change in their duties it would take a lot of time and effort.

"Princess Marita's going back to Bohemia?" Turner asked, "Wasn't she sent away to avoid the plague? Why's she going back?"

"I don't know," Eli took the letter back, "But I have a feeling that something's about to go down."

Obi-Wan: Not your best work.  
Jenny: I set up deadlines and I almost missed this one, so forgive me if the ending's kinda crappy. And I'm not too bothered to proofread my own stuff...I really need a beta reader.  
Angel: So when's the next chapter.  
Jenny: As soon as Chapter 4 of Journey to Bohemia is up. I know it's probably gonna be a long wait, but this story is shorter and therefore will reach its conclusion quicker.


End file.
